Humble King

By Katie Castle

If a single picture is worth a thousand words, then how should I attempt to describe the thousands of unforgettable "snapshot" experiences captured in the two weeks our group spent in La Paz, Bolivia? It would take more than one News & Views article, that's for sure. On Tuesday, July 31st, day 14, our group had a day of hard work and ministry. We partnered with a vibrant congregation in a suburb of La Paz to build the stone foundation of a cement floor in their church, mix the cement ourselves, and watched as each wheelbarrow load gradually created a smooth surface. Afterwards, we traveled to a nearby public high school where we ministered to three classes of seniors in a large room through games, dramas, testimony, and worship. Both of these experiences tapped into the skills and passions of our team. The evangelism experience in particular was a special time to reach out to the Bolivian teenagers and be surprised at the ways God used us, whether it was through smiles, songs, bits of Spanish, or genuine conversations.

Driving home, I stared out the bus window, and tried to visually soak in as much of La Paz as I could. Before coming on this trip, I was expectant to discover God in this new country and watch Him reveal Himself to myself and the team. Now as dusk settled over a busy city, a song came to my mind that captures for me how we have seen our Creator in Bolivia.

"You are the God of the Humble, a Friend of the weak,
You wash the feet of the weary, embrace the ones in need,
I want to be like You, Jesus, to have this heart in me,
For You are the God of the humble, You are the Humble King."

If you want to know more about the trip, here are some conversation starters - ask about the children's hospital, Andes, traffic laws (or lack thereof), shoe-shiners and shining shoes on the streets. For a sneak preview to future conversations, here is what two students briefly shared about the trip:

"I felt God strongest during street evangelism when playing with the little kids there. That was the easiest time to break the language barrier and be able to just show God's love by hanging out with kids. You could see the joy and innocence shining through the little girls' faces. It was amazing to see their hope and courage even though they had hard lives." ~Robin B.

"Bolivia was an overall lesson in trust for me. Learning to trust and rely on God for everything from the next meal to my health to more personal issues. I also learned to trust people, with a trust much deeper and less surface level than I was used to." ~Casey A.

Thank you for supporting us through prayer, finances, and love! We have an abundance of "fotos" to give us something to look back on - which we would love to share with you! Even more significant treasures, however, are the changes made to our hearts and minds as we embraced this time in Bolivia, and truly encountered the Humble King.